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Tweet Tasting Grant’s Whiskies Three New Expressions!

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‘Triple Wood’, ‘Rum Cask Finish’ & ‘Triple Wood Smoky’

It was blended night on last Wednesdays Tweet Tasting, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire.

There were three blends on offer from Grant’s Whisky who recently announced a brand refresh for its blended Scotch whisky range, including the launch of the three new expressions we were sampling.

In addition to the three new expressions Grant’s Whisky have also rebranded their Signature Blend bottling as Grant’s 8 Year Old Sherry Cask Finish.

So, the blends sampled were:-

  • Grant’s Triple Wood
  • Grant’s Rum Cask Finish
  • Grant’s Triple Wood Smoky

If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #GrantsWhisky on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite on the night!

Tasting Notes – Grant’s Triple Wood (40%)

Grant’s Triple Wood: matured in three different types of cask; Virgin Oak, American Oak and Refill Bourbon. (Priced at around £15.00)

Nose: Quite woody with some apples in there. Some vanilla & maple syrup (I pinched that observation!) as well as popcorn and gets nice and fudgy as it breathes!

Palate: Thinnish, smooth mouthfeel. A fresh sweetness, almost sherbet like with vanilla, a hint of apples and quite a dry mouthfeel.

Finish: Long finish with some punchy pepper!

Overall: A pleasant dram, suitable for all tastes and an ideal mixer whisky.

Tasting Notes – Grant’s Rum Cask Finish (40%)

Grant’s Whisky Rum Cask Finish: matured in oak barrels before ageing further in barrels that previously held Caribbean rum. (Priced at around £19.00)

Nose: Thick, creamy vanilla. Butter popcorn and some wood. The rum is coming thru now with a hint of tropical fruitiness – but not as much as many of my fellow tweeters experienced!

Palate: Creamy vanilla, buttery popcorn and a frisson of ruminess!

Finish: “Tanic Oak” Yes, Got it! Plus a smooth finish with vanilla sweetness and a little spice.

Overall: Sweeter than the Triple Wood with a hint of rum that sits well on the palate. Again, suitable for all tastes and an ideal mixer whisky.

Tasting Notes – Grant’s Triple Wood Smoky (40%)

Grant’s Whisky Triple Wood Smoky: matured in three different types of cask; Virgin Oak, American Oak and Refill Bourbon. It also has an increased amount of peated whiskies included in the blend compared to the Triple Wood bottling. (Coming soon to selected retailers – Priced at around £19.00)

Nose: Some nice peaty, wood smoke straight off! Sweet vanilla mixed in with some wood charring as well. Following on is crisp green apples and some fudge – also a little salt.

Palate: Smooth, rich vanilla with just a hint of smoke and some tropical fruitiness.

Finish: Lovely finish – sweet with a building pepper.

Overall: A gentle introduction to smokiness with just hints of peat and peat – very nice!

My Favourite On The Night

Out of the 3, I think it’s got to be the Grant’s Triple Wood Smoky. A very nice dram with a little “something” for everyone – watch out for that building pepper though!

Congratulations to Grant’s Whisky on this brand refresh – I’m sure that it will be a big success!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and of course, Grant’s (@Grantswhisky), for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@JasonVaswani @TomsWhisky @iheartwhisky @Whisky_And1 @dvdbloke @SpiritAndWood @whiskeycyclist @jwbassman_ @ocdwhisky @WhiskyUnplugged @rjstir1 @whiskywings @TheWhiskyphiles @MaltMusings @MorayTours @SanjieB @rumminguk @spikeydog120 @RumDiariesBlog @moonbites @skemduffy @bobsta1975 @PhilScott101

Grant’s is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Grants Whisky Tweet Tasting – Quality At A Bargain Price!

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The Grants Family!

The Grants Family!

Steve from The Whisky Wire celebrated his 90th. Tweet Tasting last Wednesday and it was a cracker!

We got the opportunity to sample four drams that make up the Grants Whisky family of Blended Whiskies.

What’s remarkable is that ALL the whiskies are sub £20 blends which just goes to show that low price does not mean a reduction in quality.

The blends sampled were:-

  • Grants Whisky Family Reserve
  • Grants Whisky Sherry Cask
  • Grants Whisky Ale Cask
  • Grants Whisky Signature

As mentioned, the biggest surprise on the night for the Taste Tweeters was the amazing flavours available at such a great price. If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #GrantsWhisky on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite (and close second) on the night!

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Family Reserve (40%)

Family Reserve is made with whiskies that have been matured in virgin oak, bourbon first fill & refill casks. It uses the much acclaimed Girvan grain whisky as its main base and the whisky is still crafted in house by their own Master Blender, Coopers and Stillman.


Nose: Honey, vanilla, toffee & green apples with a little tropical fruit in there as well. Also a little woodiness

Palate: Very sweet, sherbet almost! Vanilla, toffee, pear and some stonking spice!

Finish: Spicy, dry oak with a little tanin, mixed in with glucose sweetness.

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Sherry Cask (40%)

Grant’s Sherry Cask is Matured in ex-bourbon & refill barrels, hogsheads & butts, then finished in sherry casks for 3 months. Launched in 2001 as one of the brands first cask finished variants.


Nose: Quite subtle – a little oak at first. Bit understated but there’s vanilla & apples. Later on you get a thick vanilla and pronounced sweet sherry.

Palate: Luscious tropical fruits, vanilla sweetness and mellow spice – very nice! Way more enjoyable than the nose would have me believe.

Finish: Short finish but there’s a pleasant spiciness to it.

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Ale Cask (40%)

Grant’s Ale Cask is matured in ex-bourbon & refill barrels, hogsheads & butts, then finished in ale casks for 3 months. It is the only Scotch to be finished in barrels that once held ale. Like the Sherry Cask, the Ale Cask was first launched in 2001.


Nose: Lush green apples, honey and an inviting maltiness is coming through – malt extract is always a favourite of mine!

Palate: Lovely malty sweetness with vanilla and milk chocolate.

Finish: Creamy vanilla, maybe a little hoppy dryness and smooth spiciness with a long finish to boot!

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Signature (40%)

Grant’s Signature has been matured in ex-bourbon & refill barrels, hogsheads & butts, with no finish. Launched in 2014 Grant’s Signature is their most recent addition to the range.


Nose: Quite earthy wrapped up in some fruitiness, apples again with stewed, syrupy fruits.

Palate: Fudgy vanilla with honey and apples – very smooth, almost polished like.

Finish: Rich, vanilla finish with peppery spiciness blending into a long, satisfying finish.

My Favourite On The Night

It has to be the Ale Cask for me with the Signature a VERY close second. Both drams were exceptional, full of flavour and great sipping drams!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and the folks at Grants Whisky (@GrantsWhiskyUK) for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@kizzsmyth @GeorgeHHutton @cache1337 @whiskyfreak123 @JasonVaswani @WhiskyApocalyps @ocdwhisky @Whi5kyGeek @SanjieB @RealDramTom @BeersIveKnown @spikeydog120 @AlpacaJo @RealDramRob @TheWhiskyKiwi @msykesjones @ivyeatsagain @rodbodtoo @B_R_Drams @rjstir1 @Girl_Whisky @whiskyU_ @WhiskySpeller

Grants Whisky is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

GRANT’S GIVES CONSUMERS THE CHANCE TO WIN A SIGNATURE WEEKEND!

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GRANT’S GIVES CONSUMERS THE CHANCE TO WIN A SIGNATURE WEEKEND

GRANT’S GIVES CONSUMERS THE CHANCE TO WIN A SIGNATURE WEEKEND

Grant’s, the number three blended whisky, is launching an on-pack promotion for Grant’s Signature giving consumers the chance to win their ultimate weekend!

The campaign, which will roll out in May, has been designed to engage with the brand’s new target, males in their 30s and 40s and turn consideration into purchase, encouraging consumers to reappraise blended whisky.

The new packaging features an eye-catching promotional label with prizes including driving the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, horse trekking in Morocco and white river rafting in Bosnia. In addition, hundreds of premium leather weekend bags will be given away as runner up prizes.

The on-pack promotion will run across the off-trade from 1st May with up-weighted activity in Tesco including a promotional shipper and digital six sheet ads.

To drive awareness of the on-pack promotion at point of purchase, experiential sampling will take place in-store to encourage consumers to engage with the promotion, try the brand and purchase it.

Ali Cloudsdale, Brand Manager for Grant’s at William Grant and Sons UK commented: “Grant’s Signature has a unique proposition and a clear target market, which has encouraged listings in the top multiple grocers. We’re continuing the significant investment on Grant’s Signature to demonstrate our commitment to the brand and the blended whisky category.

“As a way of attracting a younger, more discerning drinker we have launched a promotion that appeals directly to them, their lives and their interests, adding value to their purchase. The carton also features a selection of serves to communicate Grant’s Signature’s versatility, an important feature that affects shopper decisions.”

Grant’s Signature recently benefitted from increased brand awareness with a £1.2 million Sky Sports TV sponsorship, part of the significant investment behind the brand for 2015.

Grant’s New Online Campaign Launched

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GRANT’S #IOU SHORT FILM BRINGS NEW BRAND POSITIONING TO LIFE

GRANT’S #IOU SHORT FILM BRINGS NEW BRAND POSITIONING TO LIFE

Grant’s has launched a new global campaign entitled ‘#IOU’, which sees the brand move away from its traditional product-led communications in favour of fresh lifestyle content targeted at Millenials.

In a shift from the traditional TVC, #IOU will begin with a short film distributed solely online. This content will be the first consumer-facing activation of Grant’s Stand Together brand positioning and aims to inspire fans to acknowledge the people who have helped them achieve great things in life. Thanks to a more focused approach to online content, Grant’s has already benefitted from a huge spike in social engagement, with a community growth of over 350 percent on the Grant’s Facebook page since 1st January 2014.

Created by London agency FCB Inferno and directed by Bafta-nominated director Yann Demange, with Stink London, the short challenges the notion of individual success and reflects the reality that none of us have made it this far on our own. The #IOU film follows a group of friends as they support each other through a series of life affirming experiences to come out the other side stronger and more successful. The film ends with the thought-provoking question ‘If you’ve got this far in life without owing anybody anything, how far have you really got?’. Cult artist Whitey, whose work has been featured on hit TV series’ Breaking Bad and The Sopranos, collaborated with music company Madplanet to provide the accompanying soundtrack.

Grant’s Global Brand Director, Shane Hoyne, whose team was responsible for developing the new brand campaign commented, “As one of the most enjoyed blended Scotch whiskies in the world, we wanted to talk about success in a way that stayed true to our heritage but also resonated with a broader demographic. Like the people we aim to inspire, we have been supported and guided by a huge team of people in bringing something new and exciting to the table and we’re very proud to share the outcome.”

“This year has been an ambitious one for the Grant’s team with the roll out of a new global brand positioning Stand Together, the diversification of the Grant’s range and an expansion to exciting new markets. 2015 will continue in a similar vein with ground breaking innovation and the launch of additional ranges in the coming months.”

The video can be viewed here.

Grant’s Master Class for a Master Whisky

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Grant's Whisky master blender Brian Kinsman mini-master class on whisky tasting

Have you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the scenes when a great whisky from a famous distiller is tasted?

Then wonder no more.

You can now join Grant’s Master Blender, Brian Kinsman, for a mini-master class on whisky tasting. As befitting a Master Blender he has had to follow a 10 year apprenticeship before he could become Grant’s Master Blender. Only the sixth since the inception of the company in 1887.

Brian and his team judge each individual spirit, including the final blend, solely by its aroma, known as ‘nosing’.

To ‘nose’ a whisky, the spirit is first mixed 50/50 with water. This reduces the amount of alcohol vapour. The liquid is then swirled around a tulip-shaped glass to release its full, true flavour.
Why a tulip glass?
Well the narrow top of the glass helps concentrate the flavour as the aroma is breathed in.

This dedication to quality and detail has helped Grant’s whiskies win over 50 medals including the 2008 and 2009 Distiller of the Year. And thats only in the last three years!
In 2010, they have notched up three gold medals at the International Wine and Spirit competition (IWS) and two golds at the International Spirits competition (ISC).

Take a look athe video and you’ll see the passion and commitment that has gone into making Grant’s whiskies a richer, more rewarding experience.

To find out more about Grant’s Whisky visit GrantsWhisky.com and register today to receive regular updates.

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